The present invention relates to a device according to the generic clause of claim 1, i.e. to a circuit board edge connector for connecting a first circuit board and a second circuit board adapted to be connected thereto substantially perpendicularly thereto, the circuit board edge connector being mounted on the first circuit board and the circuit board edge connector being designed such that it may be contacted with electrical connectors provided on opposite sides of the second circuit board.
Circuit board edge connectors designed to be contacted with electrical connectors located on opposite sides of a circuit board are necessary because of the ever increasing number of contacts required of circuit board edge connectors; via electrical connectors provided on both sides of a circuit board, it is possiblexe2x80x94in relation to the length of the electrical connectors (of the circuit board)xe2x80x94to accommodate more contacts as compared to the case where an electrical connector is provided on only one side of the circuit board.
Due to the very large number of as a rule very densely arranged contacts through which the circuit board edge connectors can be contacted with the circuit boards to be connected thereto and with the circuit board carrying the same, the manufacture of such circuit board edge connectors requires an utmost of precision. This holds in particular if the connection between the circuit board edge connector and the circuit board supporting the same is effected in accordance with an SMT process (the circuit board edge connector is a surface-mounted circuit board edge connector). The same holds analogously for the circuit board to be mated with the circuit board edge connector and for the assembly of the electrical connectors provided thereon. Irrespective of this, circuit board edge connectors of the type indicated at the outset can be handled with great difficulties only.
It is thus an object of the present invention to develop the circuit board edge connector according to the generic clause of claim 1 such that the same can be manufactured and handled relatively easily also with the highest requirements as to quality and reliability.
This object is met according to the invention by the feature claimed in the characterizing clause of claim 1.
Said feature provides that the part of the circuit board edge connector to be connected to the electrical connector located on one side of the second circuit board as well as the part of the circuit board edge connector to be connected to the electrical connector located on the other side of the second circuit board, are constituted by separate electrical connectors.
Such a division of the circuit board edge connector into a plurality of separate partial units turns out to be advantageous in several respects: on the one hand, the thus required tolerances (such as the coplanar arrangement of the terminals required in SMT processes) can be observed more easily, on the other hand, variable parameters (such as different thicknesses of the circuit board to be inserted into the circuit board edge connector) may be taken into consideration with less expenditure, and finally the smaller partial units can be handled more easily (e.g. by automatic component inserting machines).
The claimed circuit board edge connector thus can be manufactured and handled relatively easily also with the highest requirements as to quality and reliability.
Advantageous developments of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims, the following description and the figures.